Paris Motor Show serves up an international buffet of cars
14 Oct 2014|11,112 views
Forget about taking selfies against the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre because at the Paris Motor Show, you'll be swept off your feet with the exhibited cars. Held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, more than 250 makes from 18 countries were present, including Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, and Volkswagen. Uncommon brands in Singapore such as Seat and Skoda were also present at the show.
Here are some of the noteworthy highlights of the 2014 Paris Motor Show:
Audi TT Sportback ConceptFollowing its recent international launch of the latest generation TT, Audi presented the TT Sportback Concept at the Paris Motor Show. This means the speedy sports car now comes with five doors and two usable rear seats.
"In the years since, we have designed our sporty and elegant five-door Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A7 Sportback. In our Audi TT Sportback Concept show car, we are now fusing both concepts to form a new member of a potential TT family," said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development.
Comparing it with the new TT, the Audi TT Sportback Concept is 290mm longer, 60mm wider and has a 120mm larger wheelbase, which should see to sufficient legroom for two Asian adults. Its height, however, is some 30mm lesser than that of the new TT.
Powered by the EA888 engine family, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant generates 400bhp and 450Nm of torque to all four wheels from the word go. This allows the car to sprint to the 100km/h mark in an astoundingly fast timing of just 3.9 seconds.
BMW 2 Series ConvertibleIt comes as no surprise that BMW will have the roof of the 2 Series chopped off.
The successor to the BMW 1 Series Convertible will sport longer and wider dimensions than its predecessor and will, for the first time in a BMW convertible, see an M Performance power unit for the M235i.
More notably, the electrically operated soft-top can be opened or closed in 20 seconds when travelling at up to 50km/h.
Apart from the 2 Series Convertible, BMW also showcased the new BMW X6 as well as the new four-cylinder diesel engines for the BMW 5 Series, an exclusive special edition of the BMW 7 Series luxury Sedan, and innovations from BMW ConnectedDrive.
Tentatively, the 2 Series Convertible will arrive in Singapore in the first quarter of 2015.
Citroen C4 CactusDespite showcasing interesting concepts like the Citroen C1 Urban Ride, the C4 Cactus Airflow 2L and two new models from the DS line, we decided to touch on the regular C4 Cactus instead. Why, you may ask. For starters, it's a production-ready car. Secondly, it's a quirky enough petrol-powered car that stands apart with a unique design that is both functional and attractive.
We're all for going green when it comes to cars, but with the recent influx of electric and plug-in hybrid cars from Audi, BMW and Volkswagen, it's a breath of fresh air, this Citroen.
The Citroen C4 Cactus ships with new generation powertrains: the PureTech family for petrol and the BlueHDi family for diesel. 
The engine range develops between 75bhp and 110bhp for petrol and between 92bhp and 100bhp for diesel.
The cool Cactus should be arriving in Singapore early next year with a small petrol-powered variant.
Ford MustangFor the first time after 50 years of production and with more than nine million units sold since it was first launched in 1964, the tasty Ford Mustang now comes in a right-hand drive flavour.
"The new Mustang is one of the most hotly anticipated cars ever, we are very excited to now give drivers the opportunity to experience the real thing," said Roelant de Waard, Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe.
Looks wise, the car is a thing of beauty in the flesh. It retains certain elements of the classic Mustang that make it instantly recognisable as an American muscle. This includes its radical wide stance and the long sculpted hood with a short rear deck.
Making its European production debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the Ford Mustang comes with two engines - a 5.0-litre V8 and a 2.3-litre four-pot EcoBoost.
The car will be available in Singapore in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Honda Civic Type RWith its huge intakes and spoiler, flared wheel arches and striking luminous blue, the Civic Type R Concept model here makes the rest of the models like the Civic Touring and the HR-V at the Honda stand look tame.
According to Honda, the hot hatch will be the most extreme Type R yet, signalling the start of a new performance era for the brand. Mated to a six-speed manual shift stick, power will come from a 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine from Honda's Earth Dreams Technology series, generating some 276 Japanese horses.
The Civic Type R will also mark the debut of Honda’s new '+R' button. Located to the side of the steering wheel, once activated, the engine response is heightened, with a performance-focused setting while steering becomes more responsive.
The car will also come equipped with the new four-point Adaptive Damper System.
Hyundai i20Catching the attention at the Hyundai stand is the New Generation i20 that carries a downsized 1.0-litre three-cylinder powerplant under its bonnet.
Developed at Hyundai Motor's Design Centre Europe in Russelsheim, Germany, the small 1.0-litre T-GDI engine is capable of big output. Producing up to 118bhp and 172Nm of torque, the Korean compact hatchback is quite the looker too. The car sports a bold front aesthetic that features a distinctive dual-element grille while a thin, horizontal grille connecting the bi-function headlamps (with daytime running lights) emphasises the width of the vehicle.
Based on a larger platform than its predecessor, the wheelbase of the New Generation i20 is 45mm longer (2,570mm) than the previous model. It’s also longer, wider and lower, too, further enhancing the car’s sporty stance.
Unfortunately, according to Komoco Motors, the local authorised dealer for Hyundai, the car may not be part of Singapore’s lineup.
Kia SorentoLike many others, the third generation Kia Sorento made its European premiere in Paris.
In profile, the new model retains the car's long bonnet, but a lower roofline, higher beltline and swept-back shape give the car a more dramatic stance. As a result, it appears more coherent than before. This probably has to do with its increased length of 95mm, reduced height of 15mm and extra width of 5mm.
Five engines are available with the new Sorento, depending on country, offering power outputs ranging from 169bhp to 266bhp. Singapore, however, should be getting the 2.4-litre petrol as well as the 2.2-litre diesel powerplant. The car will arrive in the first quarter of next year.
Forget about taking selfies against the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre because at the Paris Motor Show, you'll be swept off your feet with the exhibited cars. Held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, more than 250 makes from 18 countries were present, including Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, and Volkswagen. Uncommon brands in Singapore such as Seat and Skoda were also present at the show.
Here are some of the noteworthy highlights of the 2014 Paris Motor Show:
Audi TT Sportback Concept
Following its recent international launch of the latest generation TT, Audi presented the TT Sportback Concept at the Paris Motor Show. This means the speedy sports car now comes with five doors and two usable rear seats.
"In the years since, we have designed our sporty and elegant five-door Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A7 Sportback. In our Audi TT Sportback Concept show car, we are now fusing both concepts to form a new member of a potential TT family," said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development.
Comparing it with the new TT, the Audi TT Sportback Concept is 290mm longer, 60mm wider and has a 120mm larger wheelbase, which should see to sufficient legroom for two Asian adults. Its height, however, is some 30mm lesser than that of the new TT.
Powered by the EA888 engine family, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant generates 400bhp and 450Nm of torque to all four wheels from the word go. This allows the car to sprint to the 100km/h mark in an astoundingly fast timing of just 3.9 seconds.
BMW 2 Series Convertible
It comes as no surprise that BMW will have the roof of the 2 Series chopped off.
The successor to the BMW 1 Series Convertible will sport longer and wider dimensions than its predecessor and will, for the first time in a BMW convertible, see an M Performance power unit for the M235i.
More notably, the electrically operated soft-top can be opened or closed in 20 seconds when travelling at up to 50km/h.
Apart from the 2 Series Convertible, BMW also showcased the new BMW X6 as well as the new four-cylinder diesel engines for the BMW 5 Series, an exclusive special edition of the BMW 7 Series luxury Sedan, and innovations from BMW ConnectedDrive.
Tentatively, the 2 Series Convertible will arrive in Singapore in the first quarter of 2015.
Citroen C4 Cactus
Despite showcasing interesting concepts like the Citroen C1 Urban Ride, the C4 Cactus Airflow 2L and two new models from the DS line, we decided to touch on the regular C4 Cactus instead. Why, you may ask. For starters, it's a production-ready car. Secondly, it's a quirky enough petrol-powered car that stands apart with a unique design that is both functional and attractive.
We're all for going green when it comes to cars, but with the recent influx of electric and plug-in hybrid cars from Audi, BMW and Volkswagen, it's a breath of fresh air, this Citroen.
The Citroen C4 Cactus ships with new generation powertrains: the PureTech family for petrol and the BlueHDi family for diesel. 
The engine range develops between 75bhp and 110bhp for petrol and between 92bhp and 100bhp for diesel.
The cool Cactus should be arriving in Singapore early next year with a small petrol-powered variant.
Ford Mustang
For the first time after 50 years of production and with more than nine million units sold since it was first launched in 1964, the tasty Ford Mustang now comes in a right-hand drive flavour.
"The new Mustang is one of the most hotly anticipated cars ever, we are very excited to now give drivers the opportunity to experience the real thing," said Roelant de Waard, Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe.
Looks wise, the car is a thing of beauty in the flesh. It retains certain elements of the classic Mustang that make it instantly recognisable as an American muscle. This includes its radical wide stance and the long sculpted hood with a short rear deck.
Making its European production debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the Ford Mustang comes with two engines - a 5.0-litre V8 and a 2.3-litre four-pot EcoBoost.
The car will be available in Singapore in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Honda Civic Type R
With its huge intakes and spoiler, flared wheel arches and striking luminous blue, the Civic Type R Concept model here makes the rest of the models like the Civic Touring and the HR-V at the Honda stand look tame.
According to Honda, the hot hatch will be the most extreme Type R yet, signalling the start of a new performance era for the brand. Mated to a six-speed manual shift stick, power will come from a 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine from Honda's Earth Dreams Technology series, generating some 276 Japanese horses.
The Civic Type R will also mark the debut of Honda’s new '+R' button. Located to the side of the steering wheel, once activated, the engine response is heightened, with a performance-focused setting while steering becomes more responsive.
The car will also come equipped with the new four-point Adaptive Damper System.
Hyundai i20
Catching the attention at the Hyundai stand is the New Generation i20 that carries a downsized 1.0-litre three-cylinder powerplant under its bonnet.
Developed at Hyundai Motor's Design Centre Europe in Russelsheim, Germany, the small 1.0-litre T-GDI engine is capable of big output. Producing up to 118bhp and 172Nm of torque, the Korean compact hatchback is quite the looker too. The car sports a bold front aesthetic that features a distinctive dual-element grille while a thin, horizontal grille connecting the bi-function headlamps (with daytime running lights) emphasises the width of the vehicle.
Based on a larger platform than its predecessor, the wheelbase of the New Generation i20 is 45mm longer (2,570mm) than the previous model. It’s also longer, wider and lower, too, further enhancing the car’s sporty stance.
Unfortunately, according to Komoco Motors, the local authorised dealer for Hyundai, the car may not be part of Singapore’s lineup.
Kia Sorento
Like many others, the third generation Kia Sorento made its European premiere in Paris.
In profile, the new model retains the car's long bonnet, but a lower roofline, higher beltline and swept-back shape give the car a more dramatic stance. As a result, it appears more coherent than before. This probably has to do with its increased length of 95mm, reduced height of 15mm and extra width of 5mm.
Five engines are available with the new Sorento, depending on country, offering power outputs ranging from 169bhp to 266bhp. Singapore, however, should be getting the 2.4-litre petrol as well as the 2.2-litre diesel powerplant. The car will arrive in the first quarter of next year.
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